Nov 2004 Journal

Jewish Military Museum opens in London

The Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, AJEX, has opened a new and enlarged military museum in Hendon, North London. Its premises at AJEX's head office in Stamford Hill were far too restricting to do justice to a collection which documents, illustrates and records the outstanding contribution made to the British military by men and women of the Jewish faith, of all ranks.

The collection includes the uniforms, insignia and medals of Jewish soldiers, pictures and photographs, even weapons, and the Books of Honour from World Wars I and II. The museum also records the service given by many members of the Jewish refugee community during World War II, from duty in the Pioneer Corps to action with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) behind enemy lines, many making the supreme sacrifice to secure Europe's freedom from Nazi oppression and the defence of their adopted country of allegiance.

AJEX National Chairman Ron Shelley invited historian Professor Sir Martin Gilbert to open the museum. 'This wonderful museum tells many stories of bravery', said Sir Martin, who praised the battlefield contribution made by British Jews from the Boer War to Iraq. He complimented the museum's curator, Henry Morris, and archivist, Martin Sugarman, for their work in re-establishing the museum at its new location.